A Clonard resident has raised major concerns in relation to a footpath which he says has been left unfinished by the council for over 20 years.

Currently, anyone walking past Arden House (soon to be the home of CAMHS services in Wexford) towards Mount Prospect on the Clonard Road from the Whitemill Industrial Estate would eventually run out of footpath and be confronted with a large grass verge. Pedestrians are then being forced out onto the road, which Tom says is a dangerous situation that has gone on too long.

'I've raised this on several occasions with various people in the council over the years,' he said. 'There's never been a reason why the footpath wasn't finished. Most recently, I got a response from the Borough Engineer saying that it would be 2020 before funding would be allocated. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. It goes back even to the time of Sola Lenses.'

Tom says that the road sees a lot of traffic from walkers in the evenings, many of whom are forced out onto the road.

'It is very busy there,' he said. 'You've got the Educate Together school around the corner and then a lot of people would be walking up to the factories there. In the winter when it gets dark, it can be quite dangerous and parents are forced out onto the road with their children.'

Newly elected councillor Leonard Kelly said that the footpaths in his home area of Clonard have been a concern for some time and he's hoping to speed up the resolution of the issue.

'I've been told we're looking at 2020 before funding is available, but I will certainly look to prioritise this work being done,' he said. 'It's really difficult for someone with a buggy or young children and it's a tragedy waiting to happen.'

'Also there's a major issue on one side up at junction onto the main Clonard road. It's an incredibly busy spot with children coming and going to school there and I think it's something that needs to be addressed.'